The Malverne Union Free School District announced Wednesday they have been informed that the court has denied the petition filed against the district by former Board of Education member Gina Genti.
In November of 2012, several school board members followed up on a complaint made against Genti. The board then hired a law firm regarding staff complaints made against her.
The Malverne School district said that they then found that Genti violated school district policies in regards to the alleged harassment of two district employees.
Newsday reported that Lisa Ridley, the district clerk, and Spiro Colaitis, assistant superintendent for district operations, were those who complained that Genti sent them "'verbally abusive' emails.” They also claimed that Genti questioned Colaitis' "hiring practices and business practices on a local blog" and publicly made a concerted effort "in a campaign to terminate or eliminate his position."
The judge who presided over the case reviewed submissions of the respective parties and determined that that the Board’s actions, in regards to Ms. Genti’s service on the Board, "were not arbitrary, capricious or irrational, and as a result all further proceedings have been terminated," the school said in a release.
“The district and Board of Education are pleased with the court’s decision and throughout the process were confident that the judicial system would rule in our favor,” said Malverne Board of Education President Marguerite O’Connor. “It is unfortunate and unnecessary that this matter escalated to this level, but now that it is resolved we can move forward with a continued focus on curriculum and instruction.”
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